


A Sea of Sky

by omgimwritingfanfics



Series: Close To My Heart [8]
Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, kinda rhweek since i took the prompt from there...and filled it...a week late...., pilot AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2014-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-27 13:57:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2695565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omgimwritingfanfics/pseuds/omgimwritingfanfics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Shit…" Rin mumbled, slumping back in the chair. What the fuck was that? In that moment he had forgotten he sitting in a cockpit, preparing to <i>fly</i> a<i> plane.</i> Haru was gone but his smell still lingered, an arresting musk with a slight saltiness, like the ocean.<br/>This flight <i>was</i> going to be hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sea of Sky

**Author's Note:**

> **rinharuweek prompt #1: firsts, a sea of light that spreads endlessly**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I couldn't exactly write fics in preparation for rhweek leading up to it because of exams, and as soon as the week started, I was on a plane across the country to an island where the internet was downright terrible and I had no laptop.
> 
> So I wrote 3000 words on my phone (never...again....) and finished the rest over five days or so.
> 
> Enjoy this fic that was totally inspired by me getting onto a plane and then remembering that the only thing I like about flying is the view. Also, my knowledge of planes and pilots etc is practically non-existent so please suspend disbelief well above eight thousand feet into the air.
> 
> [V-One: called out by the co-pilot when plane has accelerated to the point where it can't take off, but can't brake.  
> Rotate: when the plane has accelerated enough for take-off.  
> I actually did some minimal research for this fic.]

 

 

"What do you mean, you can't fly?" Rin demanded of the small mobile phone, which lay innocuously in the middle of the living room table.  
  
     "That's exactly what I mean. They won't let me, all because I sprained my fucking shoulder carrying a bookcase for my dad." The voice of Rin's friend and co-pilot Yamazaki Sousuke was biting through the mobile loudspeaker. "And we were going to fly that new jet, too…"  
  
     "You wanted to fly that one, huh?" Rin tugged on his uniform jacket, straightening the lapels. "When did the accident happen?"  
  
     "Just yesterday, and don't," Rin froze, the angry why-didn't-you-tell-me's halting in his throat, "get mad. I thought it was gonna get better, but when I woke up I could barely move it. I told the superiors, they told me to get it checked and take a week off. Crap!" he swore over a sudden loud clanging on his end.  
     "What was that?" Rin located his captain's cap and stuck it on the counter, then dragged his suitcase over. "You alright?"  
  
     "—Fuck, nah, I have to go. Shit, I'm really sorry, Rin."  
  
     The young pilot sighed, feeling a little glum at the prospect of flying the jet with a stranger instead of his friend. "Right. You better get better soon, asshole!"  
  
     "You said 'better' twice," Sousuke sniggered, his mocking laugh then cut off by the sharp click as he hung up.  
  
     Rin made a rude face at the phone over his shoulder. "I wonder who'll they'll sub in," he muttered to himself, checking his suitcase locks and then shoving the phone into his front pocket. "Maybe someone from the Air Force?"  
  
     Brushing some invisible lint off the smart white and gold jacket, he strode over to the hallway mirror and gave himself a cursory once-over. "Matsuoka Rin, reporting for duty." He snapped a salute and gave a confident grin at his reflection (that he had been perfecting ever since he got the job). Self-confidence inspired other people's confidence, and their interest. Rest assured, the youngest pilot of the Mizusekai Airlines could handle any jet with ease.  
  
     Sousuke had sometimes made fun of him for it, saying it made him look like a cocky twelve year old, Rin reflected ruefully. But he couldn't help it, it was a little fun to lord it around sometimes, especially when some of the older pilots talked to him condescendingly.  
  
     He walked down the hallway and tapped on a door. "Gou?" he called, opening it. "I'm heading out soon, you want to say goodbye to your Oniichan?"  
  
     "Just Oni, more like," came a grumble, and the shadowy lump on the bed shifted and got up, revealing his little sister in her oversized sleeping shirt, making her look eighteen when she was twenty-four. "It's like, six am."  
  
     "I have to go now," he told her. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I can never take too many days off."  
  
     "Would it hurt your pride?" Gou teased, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace that was, despite her clear fatigue, bone-crushing.  
  
     He snorted, returning the hug. "Thanks for letting me stay here."  
  
     She stepped back, rubbing her eyes. "Are you ever going to get your own place? You barely even use the car me and Okaasan bought for your birthday."  
  
      "I used it to get to yours, didn't I?" The good thing about coming back home for a holiday was seeing his mother and sister, and actually being able to drive places instead of taking taxis. The Airport provided a nice parking lot for the crew. "When's Okaasan coming back from Kyoto?"  
  
     Gou yawned again. "Her work trip ends in five days, I think. And what were you yelling about before? That woke me up."  
  
     "Sousuke can't co-pilot today, his shoulder's busted."  
  
     "That sucks, I'll have to call him later about it." The two wandered out into the living room, Gou squinting in the brightness and the clock on the wall. "What time do you have to be there?"  
  
     "By six-thir—shit!" It was already six-fifteen, and it took twenty five minutes to get to the airport.  
  
     "Hurry and leave me in peace," said Gou, following him as he dashed into the living room and snatched up his suitcase. "And don't forget the hat!" she added, brandishing it in his face.  
  
     Rin snatched at it, unwilling to admit he had almost forgotten it. The gold piping shone bright against the black fabric. "Thanks, Gou."  
  
     "Kou," she reminded him without ire, unlocking the door and ushering him out. "Call me after you land, Oniichan."  
  
     "That'll be ages yet." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you later."  
  
     "I'll miss you," she replied, and shut the front door gently behind him. Its creak followed Rin as he walked briskly to the apartment lot car park.  
  
     His phone shrilled as he reversed out and turned the car around. He hit answer call and switched it on loudspeaker, tossing it onto the passenger seat. "Yeah?"  
  
     "Matsuoka-san, you're late." The unmistakeable voice of Ryuugazaki Rei filled the car. The thirty-year-old aircraft maintenance manager was another one Rin had become friends with over time.  
  
     "Come on, it's six-twenty!" Rin blustered, quickly checking the digital clock to make sure.  
  
     "You're going to be late," Rei repeated.  
  
     Rin ground his teeth. "Could you tell them, uh, I was caught in traffic or something?"  
  
     Rei's sigh was long-suffering and also something Rin was used to enough to ignore. "There's no traffic congestion at six-twenty one am."  
  
     "Then car problems! Something!" He liked to be punctual; sometimes he felt that as the youngest pilot of the airline he needed to work more or it would be like a mark on his record. "Do you know who's scheduled for the cabin crew?"  
  
     "Which flight number are you? I'll see if I can check."  
  
     "Uh…A8236, on the Mitsubishi 747."  
  
     "Hold on a second, Matsuoka-kun." Rin heard the sound of footsteps through the phone, relatively loud clacking that probably came from the short clunky heels on Rei's shoes that he seemed to favour, even if his boyfriend Hazuki Nagisa teased him about it. The short bubbly blonde was an air steward that Rin had flown with before, one that had persuaded him (with little to no difficulties) to pull of tricks only a pilot could. Such as, say, tilting an empty jet forward in a slight nosedive so Nagisa could go careening down the aisle clinging to a food cart.  
  
     "Let me see…" The shuffling of papers came through the line as Rin flicked on his indicator for a right hand turn. The empty streets did make a bit of difference; he'd be five minutes late, not ten. "There's Hazuki Nagisa," Rin could almost picture Rei's flush, "Uozumi Takuya, Minami Kazuteru, and Yamakawa Hiroki, then Amakata Miho, Hanamura Chigusa, Mikoshiba Ayame and Yazaki Aki."  
  
     Rin felt a little of the tired tension in him ease; he recognised some of those names. There'd be no tilting the jet for Nagisa, though, who knew how many furious passengers he'd have to deal with? He chucked a little to himself. "Thanks, Rei. Do you know the name of the first officer standing in for Sousuke?"  
  
     "…No, I'm sorry," Rei said. "I can ask around, though,"  
  
     Rin inwardly hoped there were no police cars around this morning--the call was taking longer than he thought it would. "It's fine, I'll be there in a few."  
  
     He picked up the phone and tapped end call, taking glances at the street as he did so. Sliding the now blank-screened device back into his front pocket, he flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. The sky was still quite dark, lending the illusion of tranquility as he sped along the deserted highway.  
  
     As predicted, he pulled into the private parking area five minutes late. Five minutes more saw him with suitcase and captain's hat in hand, striding through the lower levels of the airport, flashing his identification at the appropriate times. Finally he approached the Mizusekai employee area and signed in, breathing out through his nose. Ten minutes late, but there were only a few people in here, along with a slight man in a pilot's outfit sitting with his back to the door.  
  
     "Rin!"  
  
     He looked up to the sound of his name. A tall man was walking toward him, his intimidating height belied by a warm smile and kind green eyes.  
  
     "It's been a while, hasn't it?"  
  
     "Makoto!" Rin shook his hand firmly, smiling. "I haven't seen you since you got transferred. How long as it been, a month? How's the new position?"  
  
     "I like it better than working at check in," Makoto said, running a hand through his hair. "It's more fun to fly as a steward, except for that storm we went through…"  
  
     Rin grimaced in sympathy; managing a plane through a storm was both exciting and terrifying. The adrenaline rush was really something else, though. "So you're with a cabin crew now? How're you being treated?"  
  
     Here Makoto's face grew curiously red. "Everyone's really nice. Uh…"  
  
     "Who's your captain and co for today?" Rin pressed.  
  
     "Suzo Maya and Mikoshiba Seijuurou," Makoto listed off, but he wasn't fumbling with his words like he had been before."  
  
     _Not any of them then,_ Rin mused. "Assigned cabin crew?" he asked lightly.

     Just then someone walked into the room and straight into a potted plant, their suitcase almost tipping over. "Ugh…" a male voice groaned. Makoto peered over Rin's shoulder as the latter wheeled around.  
  
     "Shigino-kun!" Makoto exclaimed. "Are you alright?"  
  
     A massive yawn was his answer and the pink haired man looked up through half-lidded eyes. "It's too early, Mako-chan."  
  
     Makoto clicked his tongue. "Shouldn't you be used to that?" His tone, Rin noted, was somewhat teasing.  
  
     "And I told you to call me Kisumi," the man said, dragging his suitcase over, apparently not noticing it was on its side.  
  
     The easy familiarity Makoto held with this Shigino Kisumi piqued Rin's curiousity. But then again, Makoto's easygoing, friendly nature applied to virtually everyone.  
  
     Shigino's sleepy yet mischievous purple eyes scanned Rin up and down as he settled himself at Makoto's right side, arm resting on Makoto's shoulder. "Shigino Kisumi," he introduced itself, holding out a hand. "You're a pilot, right?"  
  
     "Yeah, Matsuoka Rin." He accepted the proffered hand.  
  
     Looking back at Makoto, he noticed the tall man was staring determinedly at the ground. Rin fought back another smirk.  
  
     Shigino checked his watch and groaned again. "Time to go. You coming, Mako-chan?"  
  
     "Someone has to make sure you don't walk in front of a moving plane," Makoto said fondly. "I'll see you around, Rin?"  
  
     "I'll give you a call or something." Rin nodded politely at Shigino.  
  
     As the two began to turn away, Shigino's arm slipped from Makoto's shoulder and down to his ass, which he squeezed. Both of Rin's eyebrows rose even as Makoto jumped and squawked, " _Kisumi_!"  
  
     "If you insist," Shigino said, and leant upwards without warning, pressing his mouth very firmly and very obviously on Makoto's own.  
  
     They stood locked in their embrace for a good ten seconds before Rin, his cheeks now burning, cleared his throat loudly. They broke apart, Makoto bashful and Shigino with a gleam in his eyes.  
  
     "Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Rin asked, trying for false disapproval when really, his chest felt a little tight. Still, the two of them nodded almost guiltily before Shigino caught Makoto by the wrist and pulled.  
  
     "See you, Rin," Makoto said again and he was pulled out of sight.  
  
     With both of them gone, Rin let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. It came out in one long whoosh. Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, he turned, seeking out a comfortable chair to collapse on while he waited for the rest of the crew.  
  
     A glance of bright blue made him double-take. The man who had been sitting facing away from the entrance was now staring directly at Rin, his blue eyes practically burning. Rin gulped a little. _Did I do something?_ He looked pretty annoyed for no apparent reason.  
  
     Rin hid his uncertainty, opting for the patented cocky pilot grin. The man's eyes widened ever so slightly before narrowing, and he turned back around.  
  
 _Even the back of his head looks angry._ Also, his hair looked very soft, but that was beside the point. _Maybe I should introduce myself?_ He hazarded the thought, weighing the pros and cons of it, and was about to make a move when someone else came in, his name tag identifying him as Yamakawa Hiroki.  
  
     "Matsuoka-san, there you are," the air steward said, holding out his hand in greeting. "I can't find anyone else for A8236. Are they all late?" His hair was what really caught Rin's attention, it was a muted green, with the bangs angling downward above brown eyes in a V.  
  
     In the corner of his eye, Rin saw the blue-eyed stranger straighten a little. "I guess so. It's nice to meet you."  
  
     Just then, three more people came into the room, led by Nagisa. "Rin-chan!" he exclaimed, waving his hand in the air enthusiastically. "I'm really excited about this flight! The plane's _huge_!"  
  
     The other two introduced themselves as Uozumi Takuya and Mikoshiba Ayame. They were all standing in a circle, so involved in conversation that Rin wasn't expecting it when he turned to his right and saw the blue-eyed man standing there with a totally blank face. He jumped backward, knocking into Amakata Miho, who had arrived a little after the first three.  
  
     "I'm the first officer standing in for Yamazaki," he said flatly, not even offering a hand to shake. "Nanase Haruka." They all gave their names and went back to talking, but Nanase didn't say much outside of 'hello'.  
  
     Rin fought the urge to frown. Spending the flight with someone as humourless as this Nanase seemed…not something he was looking forward too. "Why didn't you say anything when I first got here?"  
  
     Nanase looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "You were quite loud. It seemed too bothersome."  
  
     Rin wanted to grind his teeth together. _This flight is going to be hell, isn't it?_

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, they were still in the lounge, now joined by the rest of the crew. Rin was nursing a cup of hot coffee Hiroki had handed him, breathing the steam in appreciatively. Despite not knowing many of them well, they were all already on a first-name basis, which helped them over the barrier of formalities. Rin had found that having a relaxed attitude encouraged cohesion among a crew much better than other, older pilots who insisted on strict formalities.  
  
     Well, on a first-name basis with everyone, except Nanase.  
  
     Throughout the whole time, Nanase had remained so quiet and disassociated Rin wasn't sure exactly how to approach him. Rin thought wistfully of Sousuke, with whom he could always exchange a steady stream of easy conversation. Flying a jet in total silence wasn't something he was a huge fan of, even if the co-pilot's angular features made him want to keep looking…and looking…  
  
     "Do you want something?"  
  
     Rin almost dropped his coffee. He had been blatantly staring at Nanase as he was thinking. "No! No, everything's fine," he managed, lowering his eyes. What was it about Nanase that made him want to keep looking at him? As if _staring_ could help Rin pick the guy's enigmatic aura apart piece by piece and figure out how his mind worked.  
  
     "So…" he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Where are you from?" _Whatever you do, don't mention the weather. Wait, the weather would be totally fine! You're not on a date!_  
  
     "Iwatobi, originally," Nanase replied tonelessly, fiddling with the paper cup of coffee that he hadn't drunk from yet. "Now Tokyo."  
  
     "Are you serious?" Rin exclaimed, awkwardness temporarily forgotten. "I grew up there and I never saw you around. I'm sure I would have--" he cut himself off so abruptly a few people looked over curiously.  
  
     Nanase properly met his eyes for the first time since they started talking. "I went to school at Iwatobi High."  
  
     Rin deflated a little. "Samezuka Academy for me. I boarded there."  
  
     "Ah." Nanase finally took a tentative sip of his drink and screwed up his nose.  
  
 _Fuck, that's cute._  
  
     "Were you in any clubs?" Rin asked wildly, eager to rid his head of those thoughts.  
  
     Nanase shrugged slightly. "Only the art club. Everything else was about competition."  
  
     "You like doing things on your own terms, huh?" _He's kinda weird. Cute, but weird._ "Good for you, then. I was in the swimming club," Rin said, grinning with the memory. Competitive swimming had a nice adrenaline rush to it as well as giving a good workout.  
  
     "Swimming?" Nanase perked up a little.  
  
     Rin gave a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I loved it. But aviation's more my thing." Being up there in the sky, above the clouds…it was something he thrived on and never wanted to be rid of. It was the reason he ever went to a Tokyo University in the first place, then his whole family ended up moving to the city.  
  
     Nanase returned to staring at the cup. "Mine too."  
  
     "You excited to be flying the Mitsubishi 747, Rin-kun?" Chigusa asked, wandering over. "It's Mizusekai's fourth biggest jet, isn't it?"  
  
     "Third, actually." Rin felt his chest swell in pride. "I'm pumped."  
  
     "It's too early to be pumped," Minami groaned theatrically, downing what must have been his fifth cup of coffee. His carefully styled hair said otherwise about his fatigue, though.  
  
     The flight was scheduled for nine am, but the reason they all had signed in so early was because international flights required them to be there at least two hours early. Rin tried to see it as a positive thing that filling in his paperwork took quite a bit of time.  
  
     Finally, the overhead clock showed five past eight. "Time to move, guys," Rin said, getting up. One by one, they filed out the door, Nanase bringing up the rear. Rin fell into step with him as they walked down the slowly filling airport, heading for Gate 18.  
  
     "How many times have you co-piloted or piloted?" he asked.  
  
     "This is my first time."  
  
     "Only your first? Are you fresh out of training?"  
  
     "Well, yes." Nanase said it like it was something obvious and Rin scowled.  
  
     If Nanase was fresh out of training, it meant he hadn't been part of the military to get into the job. Many pilots had previously been in the Japanese Air Force for several years before joining a commercial airline. Unlike them, Rin hadn't joined the military, but had been so exceptional in training he was moved right into Mizusekai as a pilot. It reinforced his belief that hard work and love of that work always paid off.  
  
     "How old are you?"  
  
     Nanase's eyes flashed. "Twenty-seven."  
  
    _Two years older than me._ Rin had the feeling Nanase had interpreted his question as a challenge and decided to roll with it. Competition was something he loved and piloting usually lacked.  
  
     "What was your training result?"  
  
     When Nanase said a result that was a good margin higher than Rin's, he almost stopped dead in the middle of the terminal. _That's insane! No wonder he's been moved straight into the field!_  
  
     He didn't miss the irritation that crossed Nanase's face. "What were you expecting, Matsuoka?"  
  
     It was the first time he had said Rin's name, and although it sounded forced Rin still liked the way it sounded coming from Nanase. Maybe it was just because it was Nanase. _No formalities, and we barely know each other…_  
  
     Wait, this should be a good thing. Ignoring formalities helped them grow closer, right? "I had no expectations, _Haru_ ," he said with a smirk, almost purring the nickname as he emphasised it. Nanase's mouth dropped open slightly. "Come on now, if we're piloting together we may as well be on a first name basis."  
  
     Haru's mouth clamped shut and he didn't respond. Rin felt his smirk widen. This guy was fun as _hell_ to tease. Maybe the flight to Sydney and back wouldn't be so bad.  
  
     "If you say so, Rinrin."  
  
 _What the hell —!_ Rin really did come to a halt this time, his mouth flapping open and shut like a startled fish. "What—what the fuck? What did you call me?"  
  
     "We're on a first name basis, as I recall." Was that _triumph_ in his voice?  
  
     Rin managed to start walking again, still flushed red in disbelief. "Don't ever call me that!"  
  
     "Or what?" Haru's eyebrow was raised, and while he wasn't smiling, there was a look in his eyes that Rin found…fuck it, he found it incredibly attractive.  
  
     "Or I'll —I'll call you Haru-chan!"  
  
     The first officer's eyes narrowed and Rin was a little afraid he actually had made him angry. "Fine," he muttered.  
  
     They were approaching the gate now, and out of the giant windows Rin could see the Mitsubishi 747. _Nice_ , he thought in appreciation, letting his gaze sweep up and down the sides of the great double-storey plane, which gleamed white in the dawn light. Its tail was painted the navy blue and pale gold of Mizusekai's logo.  
  
     Up the front he heard someone, Aki maybe, whistle in admiration. "Can you handle that, Captain?" she said over her shoulder.  
  
     "Piece of cake," he assured her, wondering why Haru was looking at him strangely.  
  
     They reached the gate, weaving between a few people before scanning their identification so the security door would open. They made their way down the adjoining walkway, which attached to the side of the plane like a leech. Rin and Haru moved straight into the cockpit and the rest of the cabin crew dispersed throughout the plane.  
  
     They had about forty-five minutes before passengers began to board. Settling in their seats, they tested their oxygen masks, and Haru began looking over the emergency equipment and electrical circuit breakers. Rin settled in the front seat and began checking over the controls and flipping a few switches.  
  
     "Everything looks like it's in order," Rin finally said, resting back. The whole check had taken about fifteen minutes. Behind him he heard the crew walking about the cabin, making their 'nest' in the galley—reviewing the emergency equipment, over wing and door slides and raft pressures, as well as the catering.  
  
     Haru got out of his seat and began checking the control board on the side. Back in the day there used to be an official technician there to manage them, but with the advancing technology everything was become computerised. Still, it was Haru's job as first officer to help relieve Rin of some of the burden of flying the massive jet by himself.  
  
     Rin looked out the front of the plane. The wide windows allowed him to see into the airport, and there were a few passengers lining up already. "If you have to use the bathroom, better do it now."  
  
      Haru didn't respond, so Rin decided to prod a nerve. "You got that, Haru-chan?" he said cheerfully.  
  
     He sensed Haru come to a standstill behind him. "I thought we agreed not to call each other those nicknames."  
  
     Rin made an innocent face despite not even looking toward Haru. "You said 'fine'! You agreed!"  
  
     "I meant that I wouldn't call you Rinrin!"  
  
     Rin felt Haru move closer behind him, probably in exasperation. "Are you sure, Haru-chan?" He chucked a little at how incensed Haru was getting.  
  
     Suddenly there was movement right next to his head and hot breath ticked his ear. Rin froze, his eyes going wide. "Don't call me Haru-chan, _Rin_ ," Haru whispered, sending the hairs on the back of Rin's neck prickling upward. And then he was gone, out the cabin door, leaving only cold air where his warmth had been before.  
  
     "Shit…" Rin mumbled, slumping back in the chair. _What the fuck was that?_ In that moment he had forgotten he sitting in a cockpit, preparing to _fly_ a _plane_. Haru was gone but his smell still lingered, an arresting musk with a slight saltiness, like the ocean.  
  
     This flight _was_ going to be hell.  


* * *

 

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain, Matsuoka Rin, speaking." Rin adjusted the little microphone on his headset. Below him, he felt a shuddering as the engine kicked into gear. "We would like to welcome you aboard this flight to Sydney, Australia from Tokyo City. Flight duration is approximately nine hours and forty minutes, and we are expecting a fairly smooth journey today. Once again, we thank you for choosing to fly with Mizusekai Airlines today and we hope you enjoy your flight."  
  
     He switched off the communication to cabin via cockpit and adjusted a few of the controls. The plane was rumbling steadily toward the runway now, and he felt his fingertips tingle in anticipation. The safety procedures would now be demonstrated by Nagisa and everyone else as the plane was put into position.  
  
     Beside him, Haru was speaking rapidly into his own headset, communicating with the control tower. And before Rin knew it, he was saying, "Cabin crew, please return to your seats for takeoff," and they then began to move down the runway.  
  
     They gained speed, the trees and posts and people along the side of the runway flashing by, Haru said, "V-One," and they rushed by faster and faster, and then he called out "Rotate!" and Rin knew it was time to take off.  
  
     The nose of the plane tilted upwards and they rose into the air, gliding forward at an angle, and for a second all Rin could see was the blue, blue sky. The engine thundered about them and he felt an impossibly wide grin on his face. _Exhilaration_. That was all he felt.  
  
     For a good five minutes they cruised upwards, angling the plane to the right and then straightening it. The plane soared through the sparse cloud cover, shaking a little as it went through a particularly thick cloud.  
  
     The land below had been reduced to mountains and hills interspersed with flat ground and buildings. The view was magnificent, Rin felt, as he flicked the seatbelt switch to 'off', allowing passengers to walk around the plane if they pleased. Before them, the sky and clouds stretched out endlessly.  
  
     After a time, during which they relayed information to air traffic control, Ayame opened the door and offered them drinks. Rin took another coffee, but Haru simply stuck with water.  
  
     The quiet between them couldn't last forever, and Rin was still curious about his co-pilot. For the first time since taking off, he realised how confined the space they were in actually was. The excitement from the beginning of the flight had occupied his mind almost completely, but now it was fading somewhat, he was becoming increasingly aware of their proximity.  
  
     "So, Haru," he coughed a little, "why did you become a pilot?"  
  
     "The wind is alive," Haru responded unexpectedly, staring out ahead. Rin paused and stared at him incredulously. "The wind chose me to sail in its skies."  
  
     He said everything so matter-of-factly, dreamily even, that it took Rin almost a full minute to figure out Haru wasn't serious. "Are you making fun of me?" he demanded.  
  
     "Of course not."  
  
  _He's still smiling, though. I_ t was only a very faint one, but it was there, and Rin felt his heart flip in his chest. His head felt like it was on fire. He turned away with a harumph, letting his long hair hide his face. Stupid Haru. Stupid sense of humour.  
  
     It occurred to him that he shouldn't be embarrassed this easily, after all, it was usually him causing the fluster, as it was. During his time at school he had been relatively closed off from others, brooding more often than not, but as his mother did say when he found aviation it was like he had come into his own. His confidence grew from there.  
  
     And now it was faltering, because of _Nanase Haruka._  
  
  
It was about five hours later and it was no longer Japan below them, but the ocean. Those five hours had been filled with Rin trying to get over his nerves and pressing Haru into talking a bit more. On the most part, he had succeeded, learning that the co-pilot was born and raised in Iwatobi and went to the local university, where he had studied aviation. After some years there, he had moved to Tokyo and done some more training. His favourite food was mackerel, he liked swimming in his spare time, and despite being twenty-seven he had only had two relatively short relationships, and was now single.  
  
     Rin tried not to dwell too much on this last fact, but his brain persisted in reminding him every ten seconds or so. _Single single single. Is he gay? Is he gay? Or bi? Does he like guys? He better like guys. He better like—no, what the fuck? He wouldn't go for you._ These were Rin's cycle of thoughts as they flew over the Pacific. Out of the windows and below him, through the gaps in the scudding clouds, Rin could see the vast ocean. From this high up he couldn't see any movement; the white foam of cresting waves were frozen on the grey-blue ripples. It was like he was seeing the glimpse between seconds, where time had stopped or didn't exist at all.  
  
     A long contended sigh caught his attention and he looked over to see that Haru wasn't staring at the control board anymore, but rather out the window too. His expression was more open than Rin had seen it before, and softened in wonder. He remembered how Haru had reacted when they talked about swimming.  
  
     "Do you like the ocean?"  
  
     "Yeah."  
  
     Rin was pretty sure his eyes were sparkling, or glimmering, or doing that _thing_ where they somehow got ten times more beautiful than before. He chewed on his lip.  
  
     "Sometimes I feel…like the ocean connects us. Well, not us specifically," he added hastily, "Just when you stand at its shores, there's others across the world doing the same…" _That sounds cheesy as fuck._ He was about to apologise when Haru spoke.  
  
     "I understand that feeling."  
  
     Rin turned his head in surprise and almost stopped breathing. Haru had stopped facing outside and was looking directly at him, his eyes deep and dark.  
  
     "Ah ha…I'm just sentimental." Rin flapped his hand in a noncommittal gesture, trying to calm his racing heart. "Something my sister teases me for. They always call me romantic." He snorted, but  
Haru wasn't deterred.  
  
     "It is romantic, if you think about it."  
  
     "Seriously, you too?"  
  
     "What?"  
  
     Something in Haru's tone let Rin know he saw right through his exterior and he felt all the more embarrassed for it. _I need to change the subject,_ he thought frantically, but Haru then did that for him.  
  
     "You said 'sister' and 'they'. What's your family like?"  
  
     "Ah, well, my little sister Gou's twenty-four, and my mother…"  
  
     Rin talked about his family for a good twenty minutes or so, only aware by the end of it his emotions had gotten the better of him. He had told Haru most there was to know about his mother and sister, as well as his father, who died when he was young. "I missed him a lot when he was gone," Rin admitted by the end of his spiel. "And I wanted to continue on his dream, which was to be a pilot. But things turned out a bit differently, I guess—he was more focused on recreational flying with those really fast, two-person jets. I found out I liked this sort of stuff better."  
  
     "He sounds like he was a good man," Haru said, softer than usual, but Rin didn't notice.  
  
     "He was, he taught me a lot of good things. Hey, Haru? Are you alright?"  
  
     "I'm fine."  
  
     "You're not." Rin could see even from Haru's side profile, his face had been equal parts of wistful and despairing before he claimed he was okay. "Tell me what's wrong."  
  
     A deep sigh, then silence. Finally, when Rin was about to give up, Haru spoke up. "You…you're just so close to your family. You speak about them with such love…I don't know what that's like. I've never known what it's like, to have an actual relationship with my parents. The only family I was close to was my grandmother, and she died before I was twelve. I'm an only child, and yet my parents were barely ever at home. Always away on business." His face creased with anger, which was a bit of a shock to Rin. "They didn't love me enough to care about me."  
  
     "They're crazy," Rin said softly before he could stop himself. Panicking a little, he hastened to cover it up. "I mean, that's not the right way parents should treat their kids. I'm—sorry you had to go through that."  
  
     "No matter now." Haru shrugged. "I'm twenty-seven, I can handle it. Besides, it's the only familial reality I know."  
  
 _They're still crazy,_ though. Rin wondered if Haru would be any different if his parents had been more involved in his life. Maybe he would be less distant from others? But there was no use in thinking of what if's, he chastened himself, Haru was Haru and that couldn't be changed now.  
  
 _I could care about him._  


 

* * *

 

 

An hour later and the cloud cover had become thicker below them. Rin perked up when he saw this; it was a common occurrence, but he had only seen what was going to happen a few times.  
  
     Behind him, the door shut from Haru coming back in from the bathroom, but Rin was too preoccupied to take note. His chest tightened a little bit in anticipation. The sun was shining brightly behind them, lighting the top of the clouds a pure white. After a few seconds the gaps closed and beneath him spread a sea of clouds, reaching toward the horizon. Smooth and uninterrupted, they contrasted against the blue of the sky, made all the whiter for it.  
  
     "A sea of light," Rin murmured, more to himself. This was one of the sights he treasured more than any other. He gazed out of the windshield, drinking in the view, as if if he stopped looking, it would all go away.  
  
     Something beside him shifted, but he couldn't tear his eyes off the clouds. Later he might feel a bit silly for being so fixated by the scenery, but right now, well, he didn't give a damn about anything.  
  
     Until he felt Haru's hand on the side of his face.  
  
     Rin's second instinct was to jerk away, but his first instinct commanded him to freeze in place and it overrode anything else his mind yelled at him. He was rooted to his seat, his heart thundering an erratic hundred miles per hour.  
  
     Haru's finger trailed gently from under Rin's eye down to his jawline, then slowly, tucked the loose strands of Rin's hair behind his ear. Rin felt his Adam's apple bob as he gulped, and slowly, slowly, turned his head to look at Haru. "What are you doing?" he barely whispered.  
  
     Haru was closer than he had realised—he had braced himself on the armrest of Rin's chair. "I don't know," he breathed.  
  
     His eyes were wide and a dark, dark blue, and Rin was falling into them, they were coming closer, he was falling—falling—  
  
     Even though Haru had leaned down further, it was Rin who reached upwards and kissed him.  
  
     The smell of him filled Rin's head, stealthy, intoxicating. The warmth where their mouths touched was addicting and he wanted to press into it—he could feel Haru moving against him—every one of his nerve endings was electrified—  
  
     "Um."  
  
     Rin jerked away and landed heavily in his seat. Both looked with horror at the cabin door, around which Minami Kazuteru was peering.  
  
     "I see you're busy _flying_ the _plane_." The statement was worsened by Kazuteru's gleefully wiggling eyebrows and Rin groaned out loud.  
  
     "Get out of here."  
  
     "Official pilot business, I see." Kazuteru snapped a salute. "I'll tell Ayame-chan you're otherwise…engaged."  
  
     He disappeared out the door and Rin ran a hand over his face. His entire body was hot. "Wow, fuck."  
  
     Haru returned silently to his seat and Rin looked at him between his fingers. "Um, I shouldn't have done that," he said weakly. "I'm sorry."  
  
     Haru's tongue ran over his lips and he didn't meet Rin's eyes. "Why?"  


 

* * *

 

 

They landed without fuss at the Sydney airport with Rin a thousand yen poorer. He had made a bet with Haru that he could bring the plane down with one bump or less. There had been two.  
  
     More than two hours, and neither of them mentioned the kiss.  
  
     Maybe he should just pretend it didn't happen, Rin reckoned. They had been chatting quite comfortably before everything got…heated…hadn't they? He cringed a little at his own thoughts. Who was he kidding? There had been that type of tension from the moment Haru had retaliated and called him _Rinrin_.  
  
     The plane was towed into place after it had landed and Rin said the typical thank you's and farewell's, and the passengers all disembarked.  
  
     Once the plane was cleaned up and everything checked, they could all leave. It was evening, seven-something, and air was cooling from what had probably been quite a hot day. Rin just wanted to go to their assigned hotel and sleep until one am. He never got much sleep on the job, so he took what he could get.  
  
     Only now, he felt that his sleep was going to be threatened with particular dark and dirty dreams. His mind had done a fair bit of both wondering and wandering and deep inside he was all hot and bothered, eager for at least a shower where he could get himself off.  
  
     But what made it worse was that they had to share a room.  
  
 _He won't be able to hear me with the water running, right?_ He didn't know if he could risk it or not. He was itching desperately under his skin and if they weren't going to acknowledge the kiss (fine, whatever) then he needed to _something_ to unwind. It was justified.  
  
     It took ages, but finally their transport was all sorted out and everyone was split into pairs for their hotel room. It was extremely busy when they got there, the lobby swarming with people, and the line for checking in impossibly long. Rin was shifting restlessly from one foot to the other.  
  
     "Name, please?" the receptionist asked Haru, who stared at her blankly. When he didn't say anything, she frowned a little. "Sir? Could I have your name?"  
  
     "What's she saying?"  
  
     "You don't know English? Seriously?"  
  
     Haru's mutinous expression told Rin all he needed to know and he rolled his eyes internally before turning a charming smile on the receptionist. "He's…Haruka Nanase, and I'm Rin Matsuoka. Sorry, he can't understand English very well."  
  
     The woman looked mollified, and after some time of sorting out their details, they were given a key card and a room number.  
  
     "I can't believe you're a pilot and you don't know English," Rin mused. "Isn't it part of training?"  
  
     Haru sounded vaguely sulky when he said, "I do understand it, I'm just not fluent."  
  
     "Well if you know it why didn't you say anything?"  
  
     "Didn't really want to."  
  
     "You're unbelievable." Rin exhaled loudly. _And I want to jump you._  
  
     How long could they go on tossing back and forth light conversation like this? Rin was hyperaware of Haru's presence behind him as he unlocked the door and shoved it open. Everything he did and every word he said, he found himself looking at Haru to gauge his reaction above anyone else's. And then he found himself staring at the smooth, pale skin of Haru's throat…and good God, he could imagine those collarbones, those slender yet strong shoulders… _fuck, I'm doing it again._  
  
     He grunted as he flopped ungracefully on his bed, one arm thrown over his eyes. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid," he chanted under his breath like a mantra.  
  
     "What's wrong?"  
  
     "What's _wrong_?" Rin peered up at him. "Ha, nothing, nothing much."  
  
     "Is this about the kiss?"  
  
     Rin lurched up, blushing hotly. "What?"  
  
     "We kissed, remember?"  
  
     He hadn't said _Rin_ kissed him, but _we_. Rin hoped he wasn't imagining Haru's ears turning red. "I thought you—we never—we never spoke about it, so…"  
  
     "Did you want to forget?"  
  
     Haru sounded unusually lost, and it was so out of character Rin immediately got to his feet. "No! Of course not, but I—I—" _I am so shit at this. I am so completely shit at this. What is wrong with me?_  
  
     "Then what's the matter?" Haru stepped forward, and despite his shorter size Rin still felt his knees weaken a little under Haru's intensity.  
  
 _This is ridiculous. I'm twenty-five, I can handle myself._ Haru moved in closer and Rin was rapidly reconsidering that. "I just, uh, um…" He was pretty sure he was on the verge of hyperventilating.  
  
     "Rin, calm down."  
  
     "I am calm! I'm totally calm. I'm extremely calm right now."  
  
     "You're very flushed." To Rin's alarm, Haru placed a careful hand on his forehead.  
  
     "That's because I want to _fuck you_!"  
  
     Dead silence.  
  
     "Oh shit. Oh my God." Rin stumbled backwards a little, feeling the wall at his back. He was on the verge of dropping to the floor dead, he knew it. "I didn't mean to say that—well I kinda did but not—not—say it like _that_."  
  
     He couldn't look at Haru. He just couldn't look up and meet his eyes.  
  
     "I was expecting you to be more romantic about that."  
  
     Rin's head shot up. "So...you do…?" he ventured hopefully.  
  
     "Is second guessing everything a habit you have?"  
  
     Rin felt almost boneless in relief. It was true; he had been convincing himself that the kiss was a weird fluke of some kind. But Haru wasn't rejecting him, Haru was here…  
  
     Oh, he was _here_. And right in his face, and touching him on his throat, his cheeks, his fingers sliding into Rin's hair, and he was kissing him deeply and fervently.  
  
     Rin made a tiny sound in the back of his throat he might have been embarrassed about, if Haru's lips weren't so electrifying. He responded eagerly, tugging Haru flush against him, pulling at Haru's shirt, untucking it, and sliding his hand underneath so his fingers could play against the warm, slightly sweaty skin and the pleasing layer of firm muscle.  
  
     Haru's tongue ran across the roof of Rin's mouth, evoking another groan from him and he almost lost track of what he was doing—unbuttoning Haru's shirt so he could take the damn thing off and touch him properly.  
  
     "Hold still," Haru told him huskily, burying his face in the junction between Rin's neck and shoulder. He began sucking on the skin there, alternating with slight nibbles until Rin was even ore of a mess than before. Also, his shirt was now unbuttoned.  
  
     "What the fuck," he mumbled. Haru's shirt was only halfway open.  
  
     "Do you like me?" Haru murmured against his skin. It took Rin's muddled brain a while to figure out what he said.  
  
     "Of—of course!"  
  
     "How much?"  
  
     He gasped a little as Haru's fingers crept up his chest.  "I really like you— _shit_ , oh—It's not just— _fuck_!—physical, I think…"  
  
     "Mmm. That's good."  
  
     "I want to hold hands…and go on dates…in the park or something…do stupid teenager shit, _oh my God_ …" Haru was gently scraping his fingernails over Rin's nipples and Rin never knew something like that could feel _so good_.  
  
     "I like the sound of that."  
  
     "Oh… _ah_ …!" Haru had lowered his head and sucked on Rin's nipple and Rin's hands reflexively spasmed—squeezing Haru's ass in the process.  
  
     Haru might have yelped and raised his head, Rin wasn't completely sure, because his grabby hands had caused Haru to buck his hips forward instinctively, and he had ground himself against Rin.  
  
     If anything, this turned up the heat in the room by at least fifty degrees. Rin gasped outright, his head falling back, bumping against the wall. It might have hurt if he hadn't been distracted by the delicious sensation of arousal that was intensifying by the second. He was hard, so _fucking_ hard, and he was so close to just ripping off Haru's shirt regardless of the buttons. Stupid fucking buttons.  
  
     Their hips were rolling against each other's, undulating and coming back together like the waves meeting the shoreline. Rin kissed Haru's cheekbone, moved in a lopsided trail to the tender skin just behind his earlobe, and sucked on it.  
  
     Haru's hands scrambled upwards and Rin felt cool air on his shoulders and dimly realised his shirt was slipping off. He hastened to do the same to Haru and before long, they were both shirtless and pressing against each other, grinding, shuddering. He soon found that Haru made especially strangled moans when Rin raked his fingernails across Haru's abs.  
  
     "Take your fucking pants off," he bit out, and realised he had said it out loud.  
  
     Haru pulled back. "Okay," he said simply.  
  
     He leant away a little and stripped off his pants with surprising swiftness—so Rin had only one leg out by the time Haru straightened and tossed the trousers into the corner. Determined not to be left behind, he yanked the rest of it off and threw it in a crumpled heap on the floor.  
  
     They both stood there in their boxers, and when Haru reached for Rin again, he put a hand on his chest to halt him. "Not here. Bed."  
  
     Haru's half-lidded gaze grew impossibly sharp and Rin felt a tremor throughout his whole body. He was so exposed, but although he felt vulnerable, a part of him relished the feeling of submission. He allowed himself to be guided back-first onto the bed, Haru climbing on top and straddling him.  
  
     Haru leaned down, maybe for another kiss, but Rin's hand moved on its own cupped Haru's cheek, stroking his thumb along Haru's lower lip before slipping it into his mouth. He probed lightly, teasingly, until Haru gently took Rin's thumb between his teeth and sucked on it, his tongue swirling across its pad.  
  
     Rin groaned aloud and canted his hips upwards, and all at once their soft touches dissolved into jagged, primal movements, and their underwear became lost in the fray. Haru's bare erection slid against Rin and his fingernails scraped down Haru's bare back—the sensation was so mind-blowing he was barely able to hold on. Their breathing came in rasping pants, filthy and arousing in that small hotel room.  
  
     It was time to use his hands for something else, Rin decided hazily, sliding one hand between them and wrapping his fingers around Haru's dick, giving it a long, sensual, almost lazy stroke. He wanted to make Haru fall apart.  
  
     An unexpectedly guttural moan burst from Haru and he thrust against Rin's hand in disjointed, jerking motions. Rin continued stroking, thoroughly enjoying the reactions he was the cause of, until Haru slipped his fingers over Rin's cock and he just about fell apart right then and there.  
  
     "Ah— _unhh_ —don't stop…don't ever…stop…need—you," Rin babbled right on without thinking. Fucking Haru…so _good_ with his fucking fingers…and only two short relationships? What the hell? With his head bent down and his muscles rippling across the surface of his skin, Haru was so fucking gorgeous Rin could barely think. His moans and sighs were too loud and mingling with Haru's harsh breaths, precum dribbling down both of their dicks and he brought them sliding against each other and—  
  
     " _Rin_."  
  
     _Oh_.  
  
     That was the last figment of a thought that crossed his mind before he was coming, so fucking hard, crying out loudly, with Haru's name probably thrown into the mix. Bright light flashed against the back of his eyelids, the height of his climax.  
  
     When he came back to himself, Haru was draped on top of him, breathing heavily—evidently, he had reached his orgasm too. Despite his stickiness Rin was reluctant to move, scratch that, he had no intention at all of getting up.  
  
     "You're so warm," he murmured instead.  
  
     "I have to clean up," Haru said, and didn't move.  
  
     They lay there in a comfortable, glowing silence and Rin felt himself drifting off to sleep. The exhaustion was catching up, but, he realised unwillingly—  
  
     "We'll hate ourselves later if we don't shower now."  
  
     Haru lifted his head and blinked blearily. "Mmm-hmm."  
  
     He was heavy and his warmth was heady and intoxicating—and he was falling asleep on top of Rin. Rin himself very much wanted to pass out too, but Haru's sleepy face provided a distraction.  
  
     "You're cute," Rin commented, carding his fingers through the hair at Haru's temple.  
  
     "I'm two years older than you."  
  
     "Like I said, cute."  
  
     Haru stopped short of pouting, opting to turn his head away and stare in the opposite direction. Rin snickered and squirmed a little closer, dropping his voice so Haru would have to lean in to hear. "Hey, hey…"  
  
     "…What?"  
  
     " _Haru-chan_."  
  
     "Stop calling me that," said Haru, glaring at him and Rin took it as an invitation to roll on top of him, pinning him to the bed.  
  
     Rin felt a smile grow, not a smirk or a grin but an open, genuine, affectionate smile. Almost dream-like, he lifted his hand and gently, gently touched Haru's face, his thumb grazing gentle circles around Haru's high cheekbone. In that moment Haru's eyes lit up from within with something so… _beautiful_ …Rin was wordless. All he could do was touch.  
  
     When Haru drew him down and kissed him so deeply and sweetly he felt a strange urge to cry, Rin was still smiling softly against his lips.  
  
  
       
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> this was totally unbeta'd
> 
> prays I did ok


End file.
